


b-612

by wasd



Category: Super Junior, 아는 형님 | Knowing Bros | Ask Us Anything
Genre: Alternate Universe, Jealousy, M/M, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-26 22:10:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15010508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wasd/pseuds/wasd
Summary: how not to handle a workplace romance.





	b-612

**Author's Note:**

> written for [@SuperHeeniim](https://twitter.com/SuperHeeniim), who asked for an AU where kyunghoon gets jealous of leeteuk/heechul. sorry for the minuscule amount of leeteuk, i only know him from his kb appearances /o\
> 
> inspired by _omniscient interfering view_ , a korean observational reality show that focuses on the relationship between celebrities and their managers. sm c&c is a talent agency/production company under sm entertainment; incidentally, it produces kb. the names of heechul's staff are all made up. the kim yeong-cheol mentioned here is [the actor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFA6_xZ_gDY).
> 
> title from [the buzz song of the same name](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeFylA_1ZN0), which is also the asteroid where the little prince from antoine de saint-exupéry's novella came from.

Every day is a difficult day when you work for one of Korea's most popular drama actors-slash-variety stars, but Sunday will always be Kyunghoon's least-favorite work day. 

Mostly because, and Kyunghoon can admit to his pettiness even only within the confines of his mind, Sundays are for filming Heechul's game show, and afterwards, he always has his co-host Leeteuk ride in his van, so they can drop him off on the way home. Kyunghoon chances a glance at the rearview mirror, sees Heechul and Leeteuk whispering into each other's ears in the backseat, and quickly looks away. It feels like looking directly into the sun.

"Manager Kim," Heechul calls out, "Teuk and I want Japanese ramen, please find us a place."

In the passenger seat beside Kyunghoon, Mr. Park huffs soundlessly, saying, "All right, Heechul, I'll look for one," and begins hammering away at his phone.

Carefully keeping his eyes on the road, Kyunghoon leans a bit towards Mr. Park and murmurs softly, "Hyung, I can recommend a place if you want."

"Eh?" Mr. Seo says, evidently startled. Kyunghoon is notorious among SM C&C's administrative staff for never talking while on the job. "You know where we can go?"

Kyunghoon nods. "We're in Namyangju. I live here, sir."

He can feel the skepticism radiating off Mr. Park. "Well, okay, then." Turning around in his seat, Mr. Park tells Heechul, "Kyunghoon here knows a restaurant. He'll take us there."

As Kyunghoon takes the next turn, he can distinctly hear Leeteuk ask in a low voice, "Kyunghoon?" and Heechul reply, "Driver Kim". The stab of disappointment is as familiar to Kyunghoon as the texture of the steering wheel under his hands.

*

(Kyunghoon hadn't really intended to spend his life trailing after famous people, but as his Yejun-hyung had dryly pointed out, Kyunghoon hadn't really intended to do anything with his life. Being a driver for celebrities is a respectable enough career for a high school graduate who doesn't have many marketable skills apart from an above-average amount of athleticism. Plus, having only five friends and no interest in SNS makes it incredibly easy to keep his employers' secrets.

He'd been content with ferrying around comedians and rookie actors to TV stations and airports, when word had come down from the higher-ups that Kim Heechul's usual driver had injured himself and had to go on leave. 

"You'll do," Mr. Park had said when Kyunghoon reported for duty. "Don't take anything Heechul says about his staff personally, it's just who he is."

Kyunghoon hadn't known what to expect when he first got into the driver's seat of Heechul's van, but after Mr. Park introduced him to Heechul, Heechul barely looked up from his phone—and that was that.)

*

The restaurant is near-empty, able to accommodate Heechul, Leeteuk, the full contingent of Kims and Leeteuk's own manager. Heechul and Leeteuk are ushered to one of the corner tables, with easy access to the restaurant's back door, just in case, while everybody else commandeers a larger table within shouting distance. Usually, Kyunghoon tries to sit with his back to Heechul, but this time, he'd been caught up helping Mr. Park coordinate with the restaurant staff that the only chairs left directly face Heechul and Leeteuk's table. Heechul and Leeteuk appear to be seriously debating their food choices, heads bent together, Heechul's hand resting casually on Leeteuk's arm.

Somehow, his seatmate, Ms. Kim (Heechul's hairstylist who is actually a Kim), reads something in his expression, because as he sits down, she pats his hand in sympathy and says, "It's okay, oppa. Fighting!"

"Um, thank you?" Kyunghoon says, and hides his face behind the menu. 

Neither Heechul nor Leeteuk have any more activities for the rest of Sunday, so everybody relaxes enough to order a moderate amount of alcohol to complement their meals, with only Mr. Park and Kyunghoon declining to indulge. The Kims are _very_ vocally disappointed by this.

"He can't drink, he's driving," Mr. Park tells the Kims in exasperation, when Ms. Kim tries to pass Kyunghoon a shot of soju.

"I can drive," Leeteuk's manager offers, and Mr. Park shoots him a betrayed look.

At that moment, Heechul bursts out laughing at something Leeteuk had said, his hyena-like cackle reverberating throughout the room. Kyunghoon is startled by the sound, his elbow skidding on the table, nearly knocking over both his and Mr. Park's drinks.

"See!" Ms. Kim exclaims. "Kyunghoon-oppa needs all the drinks. Can't you understand how much he suffers on Sundays?"

...what. The. Fuck.

Luckily, Kyunghoon's impending meltdown is interrupted by the arrival of their orders. Even though Kyunghoon literally has done nothing except for remember the name of the restaurant where his parents like to eat shoyu ramen, he's obscurely proud at the pleased expressions on everybody's faces as they eat, especially Heechul, who orders a second ramen even before he finishes his first.

Not that Kyunghoon's minding what Heechul is doing. Kyunghoon is certainly Not Paying Attention to Heechul and Leeteuk eating out of each other's bowls. He is for sure not thinking about what Ms. Kim had said about him and Sundays.

When Mr. Park gets up for a post-meal smoke break, Kyunghoon takes the chance to escape as well and follows him to the parking lot. They're quietly enjoying the contrast between the cool weather and their warm cigarettes, when Mr. Park says, delicately, "Kyunghoon, if you want to tell me anything, I'm all ears."

Kyunghoon frowns. "The inside of the van needs to be detailed. I was going to tell you tomorrow."

The force of Mr. Park's sigh wreathes them both in smoke. He squints at Kyunghoon through the haze. "No, what I meant is—"

Whatever it is that he means, Mr. Park never gets to say, because the back door suddenly opens and Heechul comes out, shooting them a Look. Kyunghoon immediately stubs out his cigarette, but Mr. Park, long-immune to Heechul's anti-smoking campaign, merely tilts his chin so that his next exhale doesn't blow into Heechul's face.

Heechul sticks his tongue out at Mr. Park and says, "Manager Kim, Leeteuk's manager wants to talk to you, something about next week's schedule." He glances at Kyunghoon indifferently. "Hey, Driver Kim."

Mr. Park longingly considers the remaining inch of his cigarette, but tosses it away and ducks inside the restaurant. As he passes by Kyunghoon, he says, under his breath, "good luck with that one, kid."

Kyunghoon watches the door swing close behind him, feeling a numb disbelief creep up his spine. 

Heechul looks up from where he's been grumpily examining Kyunghoon's offending cigarette and remarks, "So this is where you like to eat, Driver Kim," at the same time Kyunghoon says, brain way too muddled to keep up the pretense, "I think the Kims know I like you."

"What?" Never has Heechul looked more like Kim Yeong-cheol until this moment. If not for the panic rapidly overtaking his disbelief, Kyunghoon would be laughing at him. As it is, he's too busy internally swearing at Mr. Park (for not giving back his lighter) and Heechul (because Heechul's disapproval is not worth the momentary bliss of a smoke when you've basically outed yourself to your co-workers) and his own fucking transparent everything. He manages to choke out, "They think it's a tragic one-sided love, so they're all rooting for me." A thought occurs to him and he snorts. "Leeteuk-sshi should watch out. One of the Kims might stab him with a bobby pin one of these Sundays."

Unsurprisingly, Heechul picks up on the thread of uncertainty in Kyunghoon's last words. He moves closer and reaches out, taking Kyunghoon's hands in his. Out of habit, Kyunghoon laces their fingers together, lets the overlong sleeves of his jacket conceal them from view.

"You don't have to worry. Leeteuk's just a fri—"

"I know. I'm not worried." His gaze drops to their covered hands. "I just— I get annoyed that I can't cheer you up in the van when you're tired from filming, you know? Stuff like that."

"That doesn't matter to me. You cheer me up because I see you more often lately," Heechul muses, "even though it's usually the back of your head or your profile, both of which continue to be among the top 10 greatest views I've ever seen in any vehicle I've ridden in."

Kyunghoon smiles despite himself. He's a sucker for praise, and Heechul has always had zero qualms exploiting that. The smile must embolden Heechul, who tugs him into a full-bodied hug. Instinctively, Kyunghoon curls into him, burying his face into the cozy nook underneath Heechul's jaw, basks in his clean, sweet smell. It's not as good as the rare times he wakes up in bed with Heechul's hair in his face, but it'll tide him over for now.

He says into Heechul's skin, "I like seeing you more too. I want to be the one to keep you safe." Heechul's arms tighten around his body, which gives him the courage to add, "But being your driver is not the best way to for me to keep this job _and_ you."

"I know," Heechul replies, before his grip slackens and he steps back. Scrubs a hand through his hair, blinks rapidly. "My usual driver is coming back next week. You can go back to motor pool rotation then. I'll make sure the Kims don't say anything to HR or anyone else."

"Nah, they won't say anything," Kyunghoon tells him cheekily. "They think I'm the best thing that'll ever happen to you."

Before they go back inside the restaurant, where they will once again hide behind the masks of Mr. Kim and his Driver Kim, Heechul says, "No kissing until you get that ashtray taste out of your mouth," but deigns to press his lips, feather-light, across the highest points of Kyunghoon's cheekbones. Kyunghoon counts that as a win, and a promise.

**Author's Note:**

> obligatory IRL PSA: company non-fraternization rules exist for a reason!


End file.
